Purchase Opus 3300, Opus 3301 and 3302 together, and get them all for £5, saving £4!

All proceeds from this pattern go to the New Medway Queen Steam Packet Company Limited (aka Medway Queen Preservation Society, or MQPS), charity number 296236. The original knit sample hats for this pattern will be sent to the MQPS for sale.

Description
This is a supplement to Opus 3300, but also a stand-alone pattern with complete instructions. It uses the basic structure of the 3300 Medway Queen hat, which was originally as follows: a ribbed beanie hat for men, women and teens, with a turn-up cuff or brim. This Opus 3302 variation has a short, turned-down, cloche brim, which spreads outwards just a little. In the 1920s this type of hat was worn pulled down over your forehead, so that your eyes peeped out from under the brim. Eye makeup or sunglasses/shades would enhance the look. This Opus 3302 supplement lists and describes a few simple variations to the above structure, so that after you have knitted your Medway Queen hat, you can then re-use the basic hat structure idea to make a very different-looking hat, using different colouring and decorations. Each of the ideas described in the pattern can be used separately on the basic cloche hat, or combined in mix-and-match style.

Sizes
The three sizes should fit a child or teen, a medium adult, or a large adult, of approx head circumference 20 (21, 23) ins, or 51 (53.5, 58.5) cm. Hat body height is adjustable by knitting more or fewer rows.

Requirements
DK yarn:
For the hat brim and body, any brand of DK yarn which remains stretchy and springy when knitted in rib is fine. For example, acrylic or wool work well, but cotton is not stretchy/springy and may give you a too-loose hat. Some very cheap polyester yarns may give you a smaller hat. For vegans and those who find wool itchy, soft acrylic yarns work best. Samples for the hat colour ideas in this supplement used King Cole Riot DK, Stylecraft Special DK, James C. Brett Emotions DK, Sunflower Spectrum DK, and Elements Ripple DK. Additional flowers were made from Wollmeise Twin 4ply sock yarn, and Rowan 4ply Cotton. You can alternatively purchase a decorative flower for your hat. For yarn length requirements, see the Opus 3300 pattern. The finished weight of the sample hats ranged from circa 34g to circa 55g, depending on size and type of yarn.
Needles:
For knitting flat: 60cm/24in circular needles in three sizes. For hatband: metric size 3mm, US size 3, UK and Canadian: size 11. For brim and body of hat: metric size 4mm, US size 6, UK and Canadian: size 8. You will also need a third “spare” circular needle in size 3.5mm, US size 4, UK and Canadian: size 10 (or another 3mm ndl will do), for the three-needle join row when joining the hatband layers. Straight needles are not recommended for this pattern, because they would make the hatband liner rows and join row difficult.
Sewing up: Sewing cotton and a sewing needle are recommended, because sewing cotton is easier to see and undo than yarn, if you need to re-knit.
Notions:
For basic hat: tapestry needle, dressmaking pins, sewing thread and needle for the back seam.
For flowers: small button (e.g. shirt button); small safety pin (approx 1.5 inch or 3cm).